Ramsey Replies - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jan 4, 2005

Ramsey Replies

Date: Jan 4, 2005

"What is omittedis the fact that the Thames administration is not the only USM administration to not recognize this purportedly "professional" organization."

Now what does that statement mean?

Date: Jan 4, 2005

Mr. Ramsey (no relation, by the way) seems to be fixated on credentials, or -- in his words--"certain omissions of identification which are germane". He was preoccupied in his first letter with the need to "point out" that Amy Young was a professor with an interest in African-American history -- as if that's germane. He seems in this letter to be concerned with the fact that "Dr. Scarborough was a primary organizer and first president of the university's chapter of the American Association of University Professors," and, that "Dr. Young is the current president." I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but Mr. Ramsey sure talks about credentials and affiliations an awful lot, not to disclose his own.

It also strikes me as strange that the only way he can account for an overwhelming vote of no confidence in SFT is to dismiss it as the result of "entrenched bias."

But it was nice of him to invite the reading public to check out the AAUP Web Site. Too bad he didn't include a URL.

Date: Jan 4, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: ram
"It also strikes me as strange that the only way he can account for an overwhelming vote of no confidence in SFT is to dismiss it as the result of "entrenched bias."

Does Mr. Ramsey bother to ask why there might be an "entrenched bias" against Shelby Thames among faculty members?

Date: Jan 4, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: Emma
""What is omittedis the fact that the Thames administration is not the only USM administration to not recognize this purportedly "professional" organization."

Now what does that statement mean?"

Emma, I believe that means that AAUP has been persona non grata on the USM campus for quite a while prior to the current administration. What Mr. Ramsey failed to mention is that the university's failure to embrace AAUP principles, and the continued remnants of an Exit 13 environment, is one thing (maybe the paramount thing) which has impeded USM's growth as an academically viable institution.

Date: Jan 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Emma
""What is omittedis the fact that the Thames administration is not the only USM administration to not recognize this purportedly "professional" organization." Now what does that statement mean?"

What is often already forgotten is that the latest incarnation of the AAUP chapter at USM (there was a chapter in the 70s too - ask Scarborough) is that it formed during Lucas's interim appointment after Fleming and that Lucas was quoted in the HA as saying that for USM to have an AAUP chapter showed the maturation of the university - Lucas was also a member of the AAUP at that time. So, the president previous to Thames fully embraced the AAUP - someone needs to write a follow-up letter to Ramsey and the HA saying this.

Date: Jan 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"What is often already forgotten is that the latest incarnation of the AAUP chapter at USM (there was a chapter in the 70s too - ask Scarborough) is that it formed during Lucas's interim appointment after Fleming and that Lucas was quoted in the HA as saying that for USM to have an AAUP chapter showed the maturation of the university - Lucas was also a member of the AAUP at that time. So, the president previous to Thames fully embraced the AAUP - someone needs to write a follow-up letter to Ramsey and the HA saying this. "

I find it difficult to believe that prior administrations embraced the AAUP. My dean informed me point blank that he was totally opposed to the organization. Given the abuses I witnessed, I seriously doubt that any previously established and viable AAUP chapter would be disbanded solely through faculty decision. That would be tantamount to blaming the faculty for the royal mess USM experienced in the past, and I do not believe the blame lies with the faculty. My guess is that there is much more to the story.

Date: Jan 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angeline
"So, the president previous to Thames fully embraced the AAUP - someone needs to write a follow-up letter to Ramsey and the HA saying this. "

I'd need some clear and irrefurtable evidence of this before writing such a letter.

Date: Jan 5, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Disoganization personified
"I find it difficult to believe that prior administrations embraced the AAUP. My dean informed me point blank that he was totally opposed to the organization. Given the abuses I witnessed, I seriously doubt that any previously established and viable AAUP chapter would be disbanded solely through faculty decision. That would be tantamount to blaming the faculty for the royal mess USM experienced in the past, and I do not believe the blame lies with the faculty. My guess is that there is much more to the story. "

I'm not sure that I understand all of your post about the disbanding of an AAUP chapter, and remember that all of the deans were replaced by Thames so any current dean was not in place when the present AAUP chapter was formed.

The HA article is archived here (but you have to pay to get the whole thing including the Lucas quote):

Perhaps someone else still has a copy of that original article?

Both Lucas and Tim Hudson were members of the AAUP at one time.

New faculty group wants to help pick USM president
November 27, 2001 •• 787 words •• ID: hat10154944399202
By Nikki Davis Maute American Staff Writer A group of University of Southern Mississippi faculty members wants to have an expanded role in deciding who will be the university's next president and that, along with faculty raises, are the top issues for the newly formed advocacy group. "I don't see us as adversarial to the administration and I believe we will complement the work of the Faculty Senate on issues that face us," said William Scarborough

Date: Jan 5, 2005

You may think I am way off base here, but this guy Ramsey is providing an excellent example of the salient issues AAUP has attempted to bring to the public's attention: rational thinking, balanced leadership, shared governance, 21st century educational ideology, credentialed and qualified faculty,etc. He just didn't intend to do so with a dialectical paradigm!

Date: Jan 5, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: Angeline
" I'm not sure that I understand all of your post about the disbanding of an AAUP chapter, and remember that all of the deans were replaced by Thames so any current dean was not in place when the present AAUP chapter was formed.

Angeline, my posting may not have been clear enough. The dean who whom I referred was not one of the current deans. But he lived, breathed, and adamently verbalized to me his opposition to AAUP. He served under the Lucas administration. I believe it would be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to accurately describe prior USM administrations as pro- AAUP, regardless of any membership roster. Had the university subscribed to AAUP principles as endorsed by other major schools, USM would a far better place to work. Whatever has taken a toehole here could not have been possible had there been a viable AAUP chapter with established academic principles of governance endorsed by the administration. Unless there is something that has been a well kept secret, I see no avenue for excuses.